Ukrainian partisans claim sabotage at Russian plant supplying missiles Moscow uses to bomb Ukrainian cities

Pro-Ukrainian partisan movement ATESH says it sabotaged the power supply to a Russian semiconductor plant in Voronezh that produces electronic components used in Russia’s missiles and air defense systems.

Targeting such suppliers can hit Russia’s ability to sustain its missile campaign: disrupting production of critical electronic components can slow the replenishment of weapons used to strike Ukrainian cities.

In a statement published on 16 September, ATESH said one of its agents infiltrated an electrical substation near the Voronezh Semiconductor Devices Plant-Sbor­ka (VZPP-S) and destroyed the main distribution cabinet supplying the facility. The movement said the agent escaped the city after the operation.

VZPP-S is a Russian producer of semiconductor devices, integrated circuits and power modules. Ukraine’s military intelligence lists the company as part of Russia’s defense-industrial supply chain and says it has produced electronic components for Kh-101 cruise missiles, Iskander-K missiles and Pantsir-S1 air defense systems.

ATESH claimed the sabotage caused a major voltage surge and shut down production workshops. The movement said full power was not restored for several weeks, causing delays in deliveries of components for Russian weapons and, consequently, delays in missile and air defense production.

The movement’s claims have not been independently verified.

ATESH is a pro-Ukrainian partisan movement operating in Russian-occupied territories and inside Russia. It says it recruits local residents and Russian military personnel to conduct sabotage, gather intelligence and pass information to Ukraine. The movement regularly publishes claims of attacks and acts of sabotage against Russian military and defense-industrial targets, though individual operations are often difficult to independently verify.

The plant has already been targeted

The reported sabotage comes after the VZPP-S facility was struck in a Ukrainian attack in June.

Ukraine’s military intelligence says VZPP-S produces components for the Kh-101, including transistor assemblies and matrices used in the missile’s electronic systems. It also says the company supplies semiconductor components for the onboard computer of the 9M727 cruise missile used by the Iskander-K system, as well as components for the Pantsir-S1’s television channel.

The company itself describes VZPP-S as a major Russian producer of electronic components, with more than 900 products in serial production.

ATESH said it delayed publication of its claim to protect its agent.